HailHistoryHail by county › Kentucky

Kentucky · 120 counties

Hail history in Kentucky

Kentucky has 6,597 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1950 — 3,901 of them 1″ or larger. The largest on record: 5.0″ (grapefruit) in Harlan County on April 23, 1968.

Recorded events 6,597 since 1950
1″ or larger 3,901 NWS severe threshold
Largest recorded 5.0 grapefruit · Harlan County
Peak month May most recorded events

When it hails in Kentucky

112 Jan 221 Feb 760 Mar 1,450 Apr 1,846 May 932 Jun 588 Jul 300 Aug 102 Sep 137 Oct 105 Nov 44 Dec

All recorded Kentucky events by month, 1950–present · data through April 2026.

Every Kentucky county, ranked by recorded hail

Recorded hail events per county · NOAA Storm Events Database · through April 2026
County Events ≥1″ Largest Most recent
Jefferson County 207 154 2.75″ 2025
Pulaski County 150 91 4.5″ 2025
Daviess County 146 87 3.0″ 2025
Christian County 139 75 3.5″ 2025
Pike County 138 83 3.5″ 2025
Warren County 131 83 3.0″ 2025
Laurel County 129 67 4.5″ 2025
Calloway County 106 47 2.5″ 2025
Hardin County 100 63 4.5″ 2024
Graves County 96 49 2.75″ 2025
Breathitt County 91 42 2.75″ 2025
Floyd County 90 45 2.75″ 2025
Marshall County 89 47 2.75″ 2025
Hopkins County 86 48 2.75″ 2025
Leslie County 85 51 4.25″ 2025
Grayson County 84 59 3.0″ 2025
Henderson County 82 34 3.0″ 2025
Breckinridge County 80 57 2.75″ 2025
Madison County 80 53 2.75″ 2025
Boone County 78 35 3.0″ 2025
Muhlenberg County 78 40 2.75″ 2025
McCracken County 76 40 2.5″ 2025
Fayette County 75 45 4.0″ 2026
Ohio County 74 57 2.75″ 2025
Jackson County 73 36 2.75″ 2025
Nelson County 72 52 4.5″ 2026
Oldham County 72 47 3.0″ 2025
Whitley County 71 43 3.5″ 2025
Hart County 68 44 4.25″ 2025
McCreary County 67 39 3.0″ 2025
Harlan County 65 43 5.0″ 2025
Shelby County 64 45 2.75″ 2023
Taylor County 64 46 2.5″ 2025
Magoffin County 63 24 2.5″ 2025
Livingston County 62 28 2.5″ 2025
Campbell County 61 26 2.5″ 2025
Lawrence County 61 40 3.0″ 2025
Bell County 60 35 2.75″ 2025
Greenup County 60 23 2.0″ 2025
Meade County 60 39 2.75″ 2025
Perry County 60 35 2.75″ 2025
Trigg County 60 37 2.75″ 2023
Johnson County 58 33 2.75″ 2025
Todd County 58 36 4.5″ 2025
Ballard County 57 35 4.5″ 2025
Barren County 57 38 2.75″ 2025
Logan County 56 33 2.75″ 2025
Wayne County 55 34 2.75″ 2025
Casey County 53 38 2.75″ 2023
Kenton County 53 26 2.75″ 2025
Morgan County 53 35 3.0″ 2025
Powell County 53 33 2.0″ 2023
Webster County 53 28 2.5″ 2025
Clay County 52 27 2.75″ 2024
Henry County 52 35 2.75″ 2025
Union County 52 32 2.75″ 2025
Boyd County 51 27 2.0″ 2017
Carter County 51 32 1.75″ 2024
Bullitt County 50 32 3.0″ 2025
Knox County 50 27 2.5″ 2025
Rockcastle County 50 37 2.75″ 2025
Fulton County 48 26 3.0″ 2025
Adair County 47 32 2.0″ 2024
Bath County 47 29 2.75″ 2022
Caldwell County 46 30 2.75″ 2025
Green County 46 34 2.75″ 2025
Butler County 45 27 1.75″ 2025
Estill County 44 27 2.5″ 2025
Martin County 44 19 1.75″ 2015
Wolfe County 44 26 3.0″ 2026
McLean County 43 25 2.0″ 2025
Rowan County 43 17 2.0″ 2025
Anderson County 42 32 1.75″ 2025
Fleming County 42 23 2.0″ 2020
Franklin County 42 27 2.0″ 2025
Carlisle County 41 14 1.75″ 2025
Letcher County 41 24 2.75″ 2025
Owsley County 41 15 2.5″ 2025
Grant County 40 20 2.0″ 2024
Boyle County 39 27 3.0″ 2025
Larue County 39 20 2.5″ 2020
Marion County 38 26 4.5″ 2025
Montgomery County 38 22 2.75″ 2024
Edmonson County 37 21 2.0″ 2025
Knott County 37 23 2.75″ 2025
Allen County 36 21 1.75″ 2023
Menifee County 36 16 1.75″ 2023
Metcalfe County 35 25 2.0″ 2018
Scott County 35 27 2.75″ 2025
Elliott County 33 15 2.75″ 2017
Lee County 33 19 2.0″ 2023
Mason County 33 20 2.5″ 2022
Owen County 31 10 2.75″ 2025
Hickman County 30 13 1.75″ 2025
Lincoln County 30 26 4.5″ 2020
Monroe County 30 23 4.0″ 2023
Russell County 30 23 1.75″ 2025
Spencer County 30 19 2.5″ 2025
Crittenden County 29 19 2.0″ 2023
Carroll County 28 16 4.25″ 2023
Clinton County 28 22 2.75″ 2024
Pendleton County 27 11 2.75″ 2024
Washington County 27 21 2.75″ 2024
Hancock County 26 17 2.75″ 2025
Lewis County 26 11 1.75″ 2020
Mercer County 26 18 2.75″ 2025
Simpson County 26 20 2.0″ 2023
Cumberland County 25 16 2.75″ 2025
Garrard County 25 19 2.75″ 2025
Lyon County 25 11 1.75″ 2025
Jessamine County 23 16 2.75″ 2023
Harrison County 21 14 3.0″ 2025
Trimble County 21 12 2.75″ 2024
Clark County 20 9 2.75″ 2024
Woodford County 20 16 2.75″ 2025
Bourbon County 18 8 2.75″ 2017
Bracken County 18 8 1.75″ 2025
Gallatin County 17 11 3.0″ 2024
Robertson County 13 7 1.75″ 2015
Nicholas County 5 4 2.75″ 2011
Read the record honestly: Storm Events contains what was reported to the National Weather Service. Populated counties report more; rural counties under-report. County-to-county comparisons say as much about reporting as about weather.

Questions about hail in Kentucky

How often does it hail in Kentucky?

The NOAA Storm Events Database records 6,597 hail events for Kentucky since 1950, 3,901 of them 1″ (quarter size) or larger. Recorded frequency varies sharply by county — the table on this page ranks all 120.

What is the largest hail ever recorded in Kentucky?

5.0″ (grapefruit), recorded in Harlan County on April 23, 1968. See it at true size on the actual-size hail chart.

When is hail season in Kentucky?

Recorded events peak in May. The by-month chart on this page shows the full seasonal shape — and each county page carries its own, since timing shifts across the state.

How do I check hail history for my address in Kentucky?

Storm Events records events at the county level, so pick your county below or use the ZIP lookup. For "did it hail on this date" claim questions, the date lookup searches every recorded Kentucky event.

Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain. Each county page shows the full event timeline, month profile, and storm-report narratives.